


A Quiet Holiday

by Dazzledfirestar



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Pre-Avengers (2012), SHIELD family Christmas, chosen family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-08
Updated: 2013-12-08
Packaged: 2018-01-02 18:56:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1060360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dazzledfirestar/pseuds/Dazzledfirestar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After just barely getting home before Christmas, Phil figured that he, Clint and Natasha would keep things low key.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Quiet Holiday

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Feelstide prompt #110

A quiet holiday, any holiday at all without super powered hooligans, gods from other planets or massive explosions was something that nobody at SHIELD was every going to take for granted. After the past year and the ridiculous work load it had dumped on everyone above Level 4, Phil was certain they’d all earned this one snowy, quiet weekend. 

Sure, he could have been going over the last arctic expedition’s reports or reading over NASA and Selvig’s latest findings, but as he sank deeper into the couch and another plate of probably far too sweet deserts sat down on the coffee table, those were the furthest things from his mind. 

“Where did you get all this?” Clint’s voice cut through the sound of another Rankin-Bass special starting up. Phil was more than pleased to see the talking Snow Man that meant Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer was next. Clint reached over his lap, kissing his lips quickly before grabbing another handful of Natasha’s secret weapon for the evening. Phil leaned in, wrapping an arm about Clint and picked one up for himself. “What are these again?”

“It’s gingerbread.” Phil smirked and took a bite. “Pretty much.”

“Ah, the discerning palate strikes again.” Natasha shook her head as she curled up in the arm chair next to the couch. She glanced around, noting the tiny fake tree on the end table in the far corner. “You couldn’t have put some effort into decorating?”

“We only got back this morning.” Phil shook his head. It was true. The apartment looked sparse at best and down right gloomy at worst. If he’d had time between missions, briefs and trying not to face plant, he’d have tried to get a real tree instead of the tiny blinking ceramic one on the table. “I’ll try harder next year.”

“Besides, we don’t all have Christmas Eve cookie hook ups.” Clint grabbed another one, cuddling up to Phil. “Where did you even get these?”

Natasha smiled, grabbing one for herself. “I have a source.”

“Of course you do.”

Before the conversation could dissolve into a fight, there was a knock at the door. All three of them looked at each other for a moment before Natasha stood and went to answer it. Phil listened to the hushed conversation and only relaxed when he heard Natasha laugh. “No, no tree. No actual tree anyway.”

“Oh God, he brought out the ceramic one, didn’t he?”

“Hello, Jasper.” Phil shook his head.

“That thing’s older than you are, Phil.” Jasper came around the corner and shook his head as he set a few large boxes on the ground. “We’re fixing this.”

“We’re fixing what?” Clint got his head up before Jasper pulled out his phone. “What’s going on?”

“You’re getting a tree. In thirty minutes or less. And food that isn’t just dessert.”

“Guess I shouldn’t have filled up.” Clint chuckled and sat back snuggling closer to Phil. “Did you invite Jasper?”

“No…” Phil shook his head. “But the more the merrier, right?”

“Glad you feel that way, Cheese.” Phil looked up to see Nick entering the apartment, arms full of what looked to be the fixings of an actual Christmas meal. “Is your kitchen clean enough to cook something that isn’t in a box in there?”

Natasha nodded and motioned him in. “We can’t let you do this all by yourself, Director.”

“Sure you can.” He looked back and must have caught Phil rolling his eyes because Nick let out a laugh. “Just call me when the crazy white guy with the dogs shows up.”

“The dogs?”

Phil pointed at the TV. “Nick has a soft spot for Yukon Cornelius.”

“I’m not the one that sings along to all the songs under his breath.” Nick’s voice crossed the distance from the kitchen to the couch.

“You do do that.” Clint grinned up at him.

“I do not.”

“Yes, you do. Now are you going to help me decorate your apartment?” Jasper tossed a box of Christmas candles in Phil and Clint’s direction.

By the time there was another knock on the door, really the only missing component was the tree. That was quickly remedied as two junior agents carried a reasonably sized tree through the door and set it up beside the TV. Natasha’s gingerbread cookies were the perfect thing to fuel a surprisingly efficient decorating blitz. The lights and garland were on by the time there was another knock on the door.

“Sorry I’m late.” Maria came in brushing snow off her head. “Did I miss ‘We are Santa’s Elves’?”

“Just in time.” Natasha waved her in, taking the bottle of brandy from her hand. “Mulling spice?”

“Yeah, well… cider was a thing back home.” She grabbed a glittering ball out of one of the boxes and hung it carefully on the tree. “There. I did my part. When’s dinner?”

“Ask Nick. He’s been hiding in there since he showed up.” Phil chuckled and picked up a reindeer from another box. “You planned this, didn’t you?” He nudged Jasper’s shoulder.

“Not exactly. None of us had anywhere to be and you said you and Clint and Natasha didn’t have any plans.” He shrugged. “Your apartment was closer and you were already home, so…”

Phil shook his head. “A heads up would have been nice.”

“But this is great.” Clint’s voice came over his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around Phil. “SHIELD’s version of a Christmas miracle, maybe?”

“Something like that.” Nick’s voice came again from the doorway to the kitchen. “Food’s almost done. Are we going to do this in here or do you have a table that isn’t covered in paperwork?”

“Here’s good.” Phil chuckled. “Did you make those bun things with the cranberries?”

The only answer he got was one of the bun things flying toward him. He grinned, catching it before it hit anything else and taking a bite.

It was slightly surreal; the transformation the apartment went through. By the time everyone had filled their plate and sat down, it looked like this little gathering had been in the works for a month. Lights twinkled, catching the glitter and shine of the decorations. The voices of his friends were light and easier to laugh than most people would believe of most of them. The food was--as it always was when Nick got in a cooking for everybody mood—fantastic. It felt like a real holiday.

As Clint leaned in, pressing a kiss to Phil’s lips that tasted like turkey gravy and garlic mashed potatoes, he couldn’t quite stop himself from humming along to Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer. “See, told you.” Clint chuckled lightly against his lips.

Phil shrugged, taking another bite of turkey. Maybe he was feeling a little more festive after all of the surprises. And if one couldn’t indulge in a little carolling around family, then it wasn’t really Christmas.


End file.
